
Audio By Carbonatix
Exemplary production on Innerstate Ike’s latest release, Moolah Music, immediately bolsters the rapper’s larger-than-life lyrics, which center on the notion of making “moolah” by perfecting the art of your hustle. With a gravelly delivery that is distinctly his own, Ike reflects on the routine of rise, grind and repeat, with tracks that are essentially hustle commandments. There is no shortage of animated moments on the album, particularly on tracks such as “Super Man Buggs Bunny,” in which Ike boasts of his bank account being “full of dead white guys,” and “Text and Shuffle,” in which he sorts through booty-call texts he’s received while counting his loot. The pleasing production of Mo Heat and others sucks you in and makes repeated spins of Moolah Music feel like storytime at the playground. Standout tracks include the R&B singer BMore-assisted “Tomorrow” and the beat-knocking “Moolah,” which is best played at very, very high volume.